Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla (; born 4 June 1957) is a Dominican former
professional
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who work (human activity), works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the partic ...
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
player,
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
and
coach.
He played as a
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catc ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
,
St. Louis Cardinals,
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
,
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
, and
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
.
After his playing career, Peña was the manager of the
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
between
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
and
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. He was most recently the
first base coach for the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. A four-time
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
winner, Peña was known for his defensive abilities as well as his unorthodox squat behind
home plate
A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...
.
Playing career
Pittsburgh Pirates
In 1975, Peña attended a tryout camp held by the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
in the Dominican Republic and was signed as an amateur
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
for $4,000.
Originally an
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
, he didn't start playing as a catcher until 1977 while playing in the
minor leagues.
As a catcher, Peña adopted an unorthodox squat behind the plate when there were no
runners on base, extending his left leg straight out while squatting on his right leg. Similar stances are still being adopted by current players. He did this in order to help his
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
s keep their pitches low in the strike zone.
In 1979, Peña hit for a .313
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
along with 34
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s and 97
runs batted in
A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
for the
Buffalo Bisons. The following year, he posted a .329 batting average and .367
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
with the
Portland Beavers before making his major league debut at the age of 23 that September.
In the offseason, he played for
Águilas Cibaeñas in the
Dominican Professional Baseball League and won the Rookie of the Year award.
In 1981, his path to the majors was initially less clear. He was stuck behind
Ed Ott and
Steve Nicosia, and his English was poor. However, the Pirates traded Ott on 1 April and Peña
platooned alongside Nicosia before taking the full-time catching job.
He hit an impressive .300 batting average in 66 games and finished in sixth place in the 1981
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
Rookie of the Year Award.
Peña further cemented his place as the Pirates' starting catcher that offseason by batting .313 in the Dominican Republic
winter league baseball to earn MVP honors.
He also hit .431 with two home runs and 12 RBl in spring training.
In 1982, he took over as the Pirates full-time catcher and had a .340 batting average on the first of July, helping him earn a spot as a reserve for the National League team in the
1982 All-Star Game. He finished the year with a .296 batting average. While he committed 16
errors, he finished second among National League catchers in
assists and third in
putouts
In baseball statistics, a putout (PO) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out (baseball), out by one of the following methods:
* tag play, Tagging a runner with the ball when he is no ...
and
caught stealing percentage. He again won MVP honors in the Dominican Professional Baseball League.
Peña had one of his best seasons in 1983, posting career-highs with a .301 batting average and 15 home runs as the Pirates improved to finish in second place in the
National League Eastern Division. He led National League catchers with 976 putouts and finished second to
Gary Carter
Gary Edmund Carter (April 8, 1954 – February 16, 2012) was an American professional baseball catcher whose 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career was spent primarily with the Montreal Expos and New York Mets. Nicknamed "Kid" for his youth ...
with a .992
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
, earning him his first
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
.
Peña also finished 12th in voting for the 1983 National League
Most Valuable Player Award.
The Pirates entered into a period of decline, finishing in last place for three consecutive years between 1984 and 1986 however, Peña still led National League catchers in assists, putouts and baserunners caught stealing in 1984. He was named an All-Star and won a Gold Glove that season.
In 1985, he again led the league in assists and baserunners caught stealing. Peña was again selected to the All-Star Game and won another Gold Glove.
When Peña broke the 100 assists barrier in 1985, he joined
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench (born December 7, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career, which lasted from to , with the Cincinnati Reds, primarily as a catcher. Bench was the leader of the ...
,
Jim Sundberg and Gary Carter as the only major league catchers to have more than 100 assists in a season since the end of the Second World War.
In a 1986 poll of major league managers, Peña was selected as the best throwing catcher in the major leagues. He was an All-Star for the third season in a row in 1986. In November 1986, Peña participated in the
MLB Japan All-Star Series. He led a team of major league All-Stars to victory over a team of
Japanese All-Stars and was chosen as the MVP of the American team. Before the start of the following season, with Peña nearing the end of his contract, the Pirates made a decision to trade him rather than lose him through free agency.
St. Louis Cardinals
On 1 April,
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
, Peña was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for
Andy Van Slyke and
Mike LaValliere. He was also signed to a two-year contract extension.
Three games into his Cardinals' career, he suffered a broken left thumb in a game against his former team, the Pirates. He missed more than a month and returned to post a career-low .214 batting average, including a .183 average in the second half. Nevertheless, the Cardinals won the National League Eastern Division crown with Peña rebounding to post a .381 batting average in the
1987 National League Championship Series as, the Cardinals defeated the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
.
In the
1987 World Series against the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
he hit .409 with four RBI as the Cardinals lost in a seven-game series.
In 1988, Peña recovered with a .263 batting average along with 10 home runs and 51 runs batted in.
He also led National League catchers with a .994 fielding percentage and was second in putouts and third in assists. He hit .259 with four home runs and 37 RBI in 1989. He earned his fifth
All-Star
An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry.
Sports
"All-star" as a sport ...
selection and led the league's catchers with a .997 fielding percentage, committing only two errors in 134 games.
Boston Red Sox
In November 1989, Peña was granted free agency and signed a three-year, $6.4 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
In 1990, he led
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
catchers in
games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Associat ...
,
range factor, and putouts, while finishing second in assists and fielding percentage. He also hit .263 with seven home runs and 56 RBI, coming in 21st place in the American League MVP voting that year. Amid a September skid that nearly cost the Red Sox the division, Peña called the team quitters and threw a folding chair in the clubhouse in an apparent attempt to fire up his teammates. Several players were offended by this and blamed it on his English language skills.
On 18 September, In Game 3 of the
1990 American League Championship Series, Peña's two defensive lapses against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
allowed three runs and cost the Red Sox the game. He was also behind the plate in Game 4 when Boston starter
Roger Clemens was ejected in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes with the home plate umpire.
In 1991, Peña led American League catchers in defensive games, putouts, double plays, runners caught stealing, and range factor. His performance earned him a Gold Glove Award, making him one of only five players at the time to win the award in both the American and National Leagues. He led AL catchers in putouts and double plays in 1992. After the season, he signed a one-year extension with Boston.
Peña struggled in 1993, hitting just .181 in 126 games. He lost playing time to backup catchers
Bob Melvin and
John Flaherty. On 23 May, Peña got his 1,500th career hit in a game against the New York Yankees.
Cleveland Indians
Prior to the 1994 season, Peña signed a minor league deal with the Cleveland Indians to serve as the backup catcher behind
Sandy Alomar Jr. Although his batting statistics weren't as strong as his earlier career, Peña was still valued for his strong defensive skills as a catcher
and proved to be an invaluable substitute behind the injury-prone Alomar. Peña also proved to be a mentor to a young
Manny Ramirez
Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican Americans (Dominican Republic), Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played wit ...
during their time in Cleveland together.
In the strike-shortened 1994 season, He hit .296 with a .341
on-base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
.
With Alomar out after undergoing knee surgery, Peña caught the majority of the Indians' games in 1995. Despite a .195 batting average during the regular season, he hit a
walk-off home run with two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning of Game 1 in the
1995 American League Division Series that helped propel the Indians to a three-game sweep of the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. Ending after 2:00 AM, it became the longest night game in postseason history by time (5:01) and innings (13). The Indians made it all the way to the
1995 World Series
The 1995 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1995 Major League Baseball season, 1995 season. The 91st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National Lea ...
before losing to the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in a six-game series.
Peña returned to Cleveland for the 1996 season. He hit just .195 in 67 games behind a healthy Alomar.
Chicago White Sox
Peña signed with the Chicago White Sox for the 1997 season and served alongside
Ron Karkovice and
Chad Kreuter as one of the team's three catchers to start the season.
Houston Astros
On 15 August 1997, he was traded to the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
for right-handed pitched Julien Tucker. At the end of the year, he retired as a player at the age of 40.
In an eighteen-year major league career, Peña played in 1,988
games
A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...
, accumulating 1,687
hits in 6,489
at bats
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
for a .260 career batting average along with 107 home runs, 708 runs batted in and a .309 on-base percentage. He ended his career with a .991 fielding percentage. He led his league five times in putouts and twice in fielding percentage, assists, range factor and in baserunners caught stealing.
A five-time All-Star, he won four Gold Glove Awards during his career. Peña's 1,950 games played as a catcher rank him sixth on the all-time list. His 156 career double plays ranks fifth all-time among major league catchers.
In 2011, Peña was inducted into the
Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame
The Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame was started by the Buffalo Bisons organization in 1985 to honor former members of the Buffalo Bisons (1878, 1887–1888), Buffalo Bisons (1879–1885), Buffalo Bisons (1886–1970), Buffalo Bisons (1890), B ...
Hall of Fame along with
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
broadcaster
Jim Rosenhaus. In 2016, he was inducted into the
Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame.
Coaching and managerial career
After announcing his retirement at the end of the 1997 season, Peña was hired by the White Sox to coordinate the organization's Dominican operations and to serve as the manager of its
Arizona League rookie ball team. For the 1999 season, he was hired by the Houston Astros to be the manager of the
New Orleans Zephyrs
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz
* New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...
in Triple-A. In 2001, he led them to a first-place finish in the East Division of the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
. He also led
Águilas Cibaeñas of the
Dominican Winter Baseball League to two domestic championships in 1998 and 2000, and
Caribbean Series title in 2001.
In May 2002, Peña was hired as the new manager of the Kansas City Royals, replacing
Tony Muser, who was fired on 29 April. Peña led the 2003 Royals to a seven-game lead in the
American League Central Division by mid-season before settling into a third-place finish with a record of 83–79. It was the Royals' first season with a winning record since the strike-shortened 1994 season. Peña was rewarded with the 2003 American League
Manager of the Year Award
In Major League Baseball, the Manager of the Year Award is an honor given annually since 1983 to two outstanding manager (baseball), managers, one each in the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL). The winne ...
.
Peña's Royals were less successful in 2004, finishing in last place in the
Central Division of the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
with 104 losses. He resigned as manager of the Royals after a loss to the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
on 10 May 2005, as the Royals had the worst record in the American League at 8–25. He was replaced by interim manager
Bob Schaefer.
On 3 November 2005, Peña was named
first base coach of the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. On 21 October 2007, the Yankees announced that Peña would interview to replace
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre Jr. (; born July 18, 1940) is an American professional baseball Senior management, executive and former player, Manager (baseball), manager, and television color commentator. He has served as a special assistant to the Commiss ...
as manager. However, the Yankees chose to hire former catcher
Joe Girardi to manage the team instead. Peña remained as the Yankees first base coach in 2008, before shifting to bench coach for the 2009 season. He assumed the role of Yankees first base coach once more when they hired
Joe Espada as the third base coach for the
2015 season and shifted former Yankees third base coach
Rob Thomson to the role of bench coach.
Peña once again managed Águilas Cibaeñas during the 2010–2011 season.
He was considered a candidate to replace
Terry Francona as the manager of the Red Sox in 2011 before the job went to
Bobby Valentine
Robert John Valentine (born May 13, 1950), nicknamed "Bobby V", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He also served as the athletic director at Sacred Heart University. Valentine played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (19 ...
. In 2012, Valentine was fired as Red Sox manager after just one year, and Peña was interviewed to be the Red Sox manager.
In 2013, Peña was named the manager of the
Dominican Republic National Baseball Team for the
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic (WBC), also referred to as the Classic, is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the sport's global governing body, and organized in World Baseball Clas ...
. Armed with a roster that included
Jose Reyes,
Robinson Canó,
Nelson Cruz,
Edwin Encarnación,
Fernando Rodney, and many others, the Dominican team stormed through the WBC with an 8–0 record, culminating in a 3–0 victory over
Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
to win the championship. They were the first team in WBC history to go undefeated throughout the tournament.
After the 2017 season, the Yankees hired
Aaron Boone
Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American professional baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2009. As ...
to replace Girardi as manager, and Peña was replaced by
Reggie Willits. He returned to manage Águilas Cibaeñas for the 2023–2024 season.
Personal life
Peña's mother, Rosalia, was a former star softball player in the Dominican Republic. She taught him and his brothers how to play baseball.
Peña is married to Amaris and they have three children. He is the father of pitcher
Tony Peña Jr., and catcher
Francisco Peña. Peña's daughter, Jennifer Amaris, won Miss RD USA 2007 and represented the Dominican Community in the US in
Miss Dominican Republic 2008 and came in sixth place. His brother,
Ramón Peña, pitched with the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
organization.
In May 2005, Peña was called to testify in divorce court, where it was revealed that he had an affair with a neighbor. During this time, he decided to resign as manager of the Kansas City Royals.
Managerial record
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a catcher leaders
*
List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pena, Tony
1957 births
Living people
Águilas Cibaeñas players
Boston Red Sox players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Charleston Patriots players
Chicago White Sox players
Cleveland Indians players
Dominican Republic baseball coaches
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States
Dominican Republic national baseball team managers
Gold Glove Award winners
Gulf Coast Braves players
Houston Astros players
Kansas City Royals managers
Louisville Redbirds players
Major League Baseball bench coaches
Major League Baseball catchers
Major League Baseball first base coaches
Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award winners
Minor league baseball managers
National League All-Stars
New York Yankees coaches
Baseball players from Monte Cristi Province
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Portland Beavers players
Salem Pirates players
Shreveport Captains players
St. Louis Cardinals players
World Baseball Classic managers